Roswell Daily Record
Vol. 123, No. 72 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
March 23, 2014
Workers prepare return to WIPP next week CARLSBAD (AP) — Employees at the federal gover nment’s troubled nuclear waste dump in southeastern New Mexico are preparing to enter the facility’s underground mine for the first time since a radiation leak contaminated workers last month. The U.S. Department of Energy announced Saturday that 35 workers have undergone training simulations at a Potash mine before re-entry next week into the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). Employees went through
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a two-hour underground session using protective gear and air -breathing units, officials said. Workers spent this week training for various scenarios that could occur in the mine. According to the Department of Energy, the plan is for workers to set up an operating camp near a salthandling shaft and then check for a secondary exit in the shaft that controls air flow. After that, they will focus on finding the source of the radiation release. The repository near
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Carlsbad stopped taking all waste shipments after an underground truck fire on Feb. 5. Nine days later, a radiation release shuttered the plant. A series of shortcomings in maintenance, safety training, emergency response and oversight were cited by a team that investigated the truck fire. The New Mexico Environment Department withdrew a preliminary permit this week for the dump’s request to expand its facility, citing the fire and the leak. It is unclear, however, if
the two incidents are related. The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant is the nation’s only permanent underground repository for low-level radioactive waste, including things like plutonium-contaminated gloves, tools and protective clothing, from nuclear weapons facilities. With the nuclear waste dump shuttered, operators for the plan made an agreement with Waste Control Specialists to ship radioactive waste from Los Alamos National Laboratory to rural west Texas.
SUNDAY
AP Photo
This Feb. 27, 2009, file photo courtesy of the U.S. Department of Energy's Carlsbad Field Office shows the arrival of the first remote-handled transuranic waste at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad.
NMWC plans annual job fair RANDAL SEYLER RECORD STAFF WRITER
Mark Wilson Photo
Young 'Gunner' sits on a motorcycle seat during the Hobby & Motorcycle Show at the Roswell Adult Center, Saturday morning.
Sheriff candidate Graves hopes for better future JILL MCLAUGHLIN RECORD STAFF WRITER
Candidate Gary Graves has a color ful past that includes his recall from office as De Baca County sheriff, a foiled attempt to find Billy the Kid and the permanent loss of his state law enforcement certification. Graves is not hiding from any of it, he said. He is running for sherif f of Chaves County to help the citizens go forward as a better community, he said. “I have nothing to hide. I’m wide open,” Graves said. “It’s all there in living color. I’m not ashamed of anything. I stand tall and will stand tall again, and that’s why I’m here.” Graves, who still calls
himself “Sheriff,” began his career in law enforcement at age 18 and spent the better part of 21 years in the field. He has maintained a home in Chaves County his entire life, he said. “I was born at St. Mary’s Hospital and attended the schools here,” Graves said. “I care about this community. It’s my home. My family is a respected name in this community. I’m very proud of them. They gave me a good family raising. They taught me morals and values. They didn’t spare the belt, and that’s a good thing.” Graves is also a competitive shooter and competes throughout the U.S., he said. He can fire 26 to 32 rounds in 11 to 13 seconds
with accuracy. He mentors and teaches children in shooting sports. “I shoot for the fun of it, but there are times that we win things,” Graves said. Graves worked for several police and sherif f’s departments in the region, including the Chaves County Sheriff’s Office two different times, from 1985 to 1999. He reached a pinnacle in his career when he was elected sheriff of De Baca County in 2002. Graves’ time in of fice resulted in several highprofile incidents. A move by citizens resulted in a petition for a recall election that included a hearing with a judge deter-
‘Angry Hornet’ may fly again
A single-engine plane flipped over into a field behind 1804 E. College Blvd., around 12:30 p.m. Saturday, after a failed take-off attempt. The owners of "The Angry Hornet" were not injured. State police investigated the crash. The plane continued to leak fuel following the crash, but the owners said the plane could likely be repaired to be airworthy in the future.
Jesse Moore: The art of independence See GRAVES, Page A3
Jesse Moore, a client at Tobosa Developmental Services, displays a sample of his ceramic artwork on Wednesday. Moore volunteers at St. Peter’s Catholic Church and works at Papa Murphy’s as well as working on his ceramics and paint-
When he isn’t busy volunteering with the Good Samarian Program at St. Peter’s Catholic Church, chances are you will find Jesse Moore creating art. “I like ceramics, and I am going to bring some of my art to the Hobby Show at the Roswell Adult Center this weekend,” Moore said. Moore started learning ceramics at the RAC
• RAMON R. LICON • ELISSA PACHECO • DELORES “D.G.” CRIBBS
• TROY TRAVIS JAMES • RANCE WILSON • FRANCES ISAACS
Randal Seyler Photo
HIGH 56 LOW 37
See JOB FAIR, Page A2
Jill McLaughlin Photo
RANDAL SEYLER RECORD STAFF WRITER
TODAY’S FORECAST
Job seekers in Chaves County will be in for an “out of this world” experience in April when New Mexico Workforce Connection hosts its annual job fair at the Roswell Convention and Civic Center. Roswell’s Out of the World Job Fair will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. on April 9 at the convention center, and attendance is free for both employers and job seekers, said Nellie Daniel, Workforce Connection employment specialist. “We have 35 employers signed up as of today,” Daniel said on Friday morning, “and the deadline for employers to sign up will be March 26.” Partnering with Workforce Connection in hosting the job fair will be ItsQuest
Inc., Eastern New Mexico University Roswell, Division of Vocational Rehab, Goodwill, SL Start, and Congressman Steve Pearce. “We have several employers who have numerous positions they are looking to fill, and we have one employer who just has one opening,” Daniel said. “The main thing is to get people jobs, that is what we’re all about.” Daniel said Workforce Connection often pairs with the business community to help fill openings. “When Marshall’s came to town last year, we worked with them in finding employees,” Daniel said. “I really enjoy working with businesses and helping them to find good employees.” Job seekers are encour-
TODAY’S OBITUARIES PAGE B7
and he continues taking classes to this day.
Moore isn’t your typical 42-year -old. Moore is a client of Tobosa Developmental Services, a community based provider for people with developmental disabilities, and he has been involved in the Tobosa program for 12 years.
“Jesse is very outgoing, he never meets a stranger,” said Rosanna Heath, a support staf f
CLASSIFIEDS ..........D1 COMICS .................C6 ENTERTAINMENT .....C4 FEATURE ................B8
member at Tobosa. “He’s very sweet, and he loves to be around people.”
Moore volunteers four days a week with the church food pantry program, and works two days a week at Papa Murphy’s, and he enjoys his time both as a volunteer and as an employee. But what really makes Moore light up is the topic of his favorite art projects —
See MOORE, Page A3
INDEX GENERAL ...............A2 HOROSCOPES .........D6 LOTTERIES .............A2 OPINION .................A4
SPORTS .................B1
WEATHER ..............A8 WORLD ..................A7